More than 12,000 Christians gathered in Kolkata on 5 November for a prayer and protest rally calling for religious freedom and stronger protection against attacks on Christian communities.
The demonstration was organised by the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), also known as the Bengal Christian Council, an inter-denominational Christian organisation. The turnout was more than twice the number originally expected by organisers.
Herod Mullick, the council's founding secretary, said permission had been granted for 5,000 participants, but more than 12,000 people attended the event.
According to Mullick, Christians travelled from different parts of West Bengal, as well as from neighbouring states including Odisha, Nagaland and Mizoram.
He said the large gathering reflected growing concern among Christians about reported attacks and accusations of unlawful religious conversion.
Mullick described the situation facing Christians in West Bengal as deeply concerning, pointing to a series of incidents involving violence and intimidation over the previous months.
Figures collected by the BCP recorded 48 alleged attacks against Christians since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took office in West Bengal in May this year. However, police had reportedly registered only 16 First Information Reports (FIRs), which are the formal documents used to begin criminal investigations in India.
Christian leaders expressed disappointment over what they described as an inadequate response from law enforcement authorities. They called for better protection of Christian worshippers and proper investigations into complaints of violence.
The organisers also rejected accusations that Christians were using prayer meetings to force people to change their religion. They said such allegations had increasingly been used to disrupt Christian gatherings.
The BCP called on the state government to investigate any genuine cases of unlawful conversion while ensuring that Christians could practise their faith freely and without intimidation.
Pastor Jose Bernard said the strong attendance demonstrated the level of concern within the Christian community.
He urged the state government to take the concerns seriously and respond to reports of attacks against Christians over the previous four to five months.
Bernard also stressed that Christians in West Bengal wanted to live peacefully alongside people of other religious communities.
The rally followed reports of alleged attacks on Christian gatherings in several districts, including East Bardhaman, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia and West Midnapore.
Christian leaders said smaller house churches and informal prayer meetings were particularly vulnerable to accusations of religious conversion. These claims, they said, had created fear among worshippers and raised concerns about their ability to gather for prayer.
Some participants also highlighted incidents they said demonstrated the difficulties faced by Christian families.
Panchugopal Mandal, a Christian resident of Balichak in West Midnapore, alleged that a group of people attacked his home during his mother's burial ceremony on 30 September. He also criticised local authorities for what he described as an inadequate response to his complaints.
The Kolkata demonstration took place three days after a people's tribunal was held on 2 November. Christians from several districts reportedly gave accounts of alleged attacks, threats and failures by police to respond to their complaints.
Organisers said they planned to bring these accounts together in a report to be submitted to both the West Bengal and central governments.
In a further effort to address the situation, Mullick met Jishnu Basu, a local leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on 4 November.
The discussions focused on reported attacks against Christians and concerns surrounding allegations of religious conversion.
Mullick described the meeting as constructive and said Basu had promised to bring the Christian community's concerns to the attention of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The large gathering in Kolkata has drawn renewed attention to calls for religious freedom, equal protection under the law and greater government action to address reported violence against Christians in West Bengal.
Based on reporting by UCA News.
